What is Snowflake?
Snowflake is the cloud-native data platform that decoupled storage from compute, enabling elastic scaling, multi-cluster concurrency, and zero-copy data sharing across organisations. It now spans data warehousing, lakehouse capabilities, Snowpark for Python / Java / Scala workloads, Cortex AI (managed LLMs and ML), Streamlit-based data apps, and tight integration with Salesforce via Data Cloud federation. Decision Foundry is a Snowflake Select Partner.
What does Decision Foundry's Snowflake service include?
Data platform architecture and modernisation; Snowflake-specific design patterns (medallion layers, dynamic tables, streams + tasks, zero-copy cloning for environments); data pipeline operations (Snowpipe, Streams, native ingestion); MLOps and AI platform engineering (Cortex, ML Functions); LLMOps and generative AI engineering (Cortex AISQL, Document AI); data sharing and Snowflake Marketplace publishing; and ongoing cost / performance optimisation.
How does Snowflake compare to Databricks or BigQuery?
Snowflake leads on SQL ease of use, multi-cluster concurrency, governance via row-access policies, and zero-copy integration with Salesforce Data Cloud. Databricks leads on ML, streaming, and engineering. BigQuery leads on Google ecosystem integration and serverless pricing simplicity. Snowflake's sweet spot is the BI + warehouse layer; many enterprises pair it with Databricks for engineering / ML.
How long does a Snowflake implementation take, and what does it cost?
A focused Snowflake stand-up (account setup, 5–10 data sources ingested, medallion layering, basic governance, BI integration) runs 10–14 weeks. A full enterprise build with multi-region, complex governance, Cortex AI activation, and data sharing partnerships runs 6–10 months. Snowflake cost scales with compute consumption (credits) and storage — we design for cost-efficiency from day one. Discovery call first.
Our Snowflake bill is running away — can you help with cost optimisation?
Yes, this is one of our most common engagements. Snowflake cost-runaway usually traces to a handful of issues: oversized warehouses, missing auto-suspend, query patterns that scan more than they need, materialised views or caching not used, and the lack of resource monitors. We run a 4-6 week cost audit and typically identify 30-50% in addressable savings without sacrificing performance.
Why Decision Foundry for Snowflake?
Snowflake Select Partner with deep Cortex AI, Snowpark, and data-sharing expertise. Plus the broader enterprise data stack — Databricks Premier Partner, Salesforce SELECT, AWS / Azure / GCP certifications. Most Snowflake consultancies are Snowflake-only; we're cross-stack, which matters when Snowflake needs to connect to Salesforce, MCI, Databricks, or AI agents downstream. 200+ data projects delivered.